Best and popular Linux distro?

[4klips]

What is the best linux distro. I mean the most popular one which have tutorials online and support and softwares are easily available. Looks and feels good etc.

 

I am a windows user and I am bored with it. I want to try other OS. I don't know anything about Linux and wanted to learn some commands etc. So what is the best OS for me and I don't like Linux Mint. It doesn't matter if any distro is difficult to learn. ? 

[handymanshandle]

Well before Canonical kills Ubuntu Unity next year which killing unity will probably kill Ubuntu js I would recommend that. 

 

Otherwise, idk. There's elementary OS. The documentation and videos on it are so-so I guess. I haven't actually gotten to installing it but it looks like a nice OS.

[SCHISCHKA]

if you have a new GPU you want to use ubuntu 16.04 LTS. if you have a older GPU use debian. Newer Debian will be released later this year. The next Ubuntu LTS wont be available until 2018.

Anything Debian based will have good support but its best to just use stock debian. I mentioned Ubuntu coz its based of debian but has newer kernel that is stable and compatible with new GPUs

[ChuckMaurice]

I'd say the most popular Linux distributions, in terms of support and software compatibility are :

 

- Ubuntu (and the Linux Mint variant): great out of the box experience, the beginner's go-to distribution when discovering Linux. Linux Mint is the distribution with the most users in the Linux community but is basically a fork of Ubuntu with a better UI (that you can install yourself if you want).

 

- Fedora: based on RedHat which is the biggest paid distribution, with a lot of pros using it. More cutting edge software but less easy to apprehend for a beginner. This is the one I began Linux with back in 2007, so I still prefer it over Ubuntu but I'm biased.

 

- ArchLinux: if you really want to learn Linux deeply and tinker with your computer. The community is wide and has a lot of advanced users. but this is for advanced users, and you will likely spend more time tinkering with it for fun and optimization than actually using your computer.

Also look at the different UI (desktop environments) Linux has to offer, there is a lot of choice. Ubuntu for example packs Unity, which I personally hate (the desktop-tablet idiotic compromise...), but you can install and try a lot of different UI without switching distro: Gnome 3, KDE, Cinnamon, MATE...

[4klips]

41 minutes ago, jldjul said:

I'd say the most popular Linux distributions, in terms of support and software compatibility are :

 

- Ubuntu (and the Linux Mint variant): great out of the box experience, the beginner's go-to distribution when discovering Linux. Linux Mint is the distribution with the most users in the Linux community but is basically a fork of Ubuntu with a better UI (that you can install yourself if you want).

 

- Fedora: based on RedHat which is the biggest paid distribution, with a lot of pros using it. More cutting edge software but less easy to apprehend for a beginner. This is the one I began Linux with back in 2007, so I still prefer it over Ubuntu but I'm biased.

 

- ArchLinux: if you really want to learn Linux deeply and tinker with your computer. The community is wide and has a lot of advanced users. but this is for advanced users, and you will likely spend more time tinkering with it for fun and optimization than actually using your computer.

Also look at the different UI (desktop environments) Linux has to offer, there is a lot of choice. Ubuntu for example packs Unity, which I personally hate (the desktop-tablet idiotic compromise...), but you can install and try a lot of different UI without switching distro: Gnome 3, KDE, Cinnamon, MATE...

Thanks